New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-29
TVEPE ARE THE LETTERSf

| WHERE AXE IHG Lb1'DD'
Almost every family has legend belong nc
either to its own history or to that OF some
| branch of IL. something like this: lady living
| in Washington saw pass through her room ono
evening the form of q beloved friend She said
at once an. is dcado No news even of sickness
| had been received, but the next morning came
| word that Mt the hour Of the alleged appearance
M. had died. Stories Of this kind are so numerous
and in many cases apparently so well authenticate
that society was formed in England several
wears ago. called the Society Of Psychcal Research
for the purpose of investigating these and other
ALLEGED phenomena of the same class. 1hls pore
no relation to any Of the spiritualstic movements
The society included many men distinguished In
science. who were influenced by the feeling that
such phenomena, resting upon the word OF persons
who were not believers in spirituansm de-
served investigation. The work was IN progress
more than four years Its result was the puDiica-
ton of two large volumes containing the recorus
of many hundreds Of cases Of this kind OF varying
degrees Of interest and Importance
A writer in 1.-The Nineteenth Century," MI n.
Taylor Innes, has subjected the work OF the III
vestigation to n searching revision WIN soino
interesting results The question was not "hether
the death or other occurrence said to have been
transmitted by telepathy had taken place or
the editors generally succeeded in verifying these
nv crcat labor-but what evidence there was that
the percpents felt or perceived at the time what
they say they did. 1t is undoubtedly true, as no
claims that documentary evidence would be oil the
utmost importance but Of such written evidence
there are two classes-memoranda made at the Time
In diaries and the like and retained in the writer
possession, which are obviously not satisfactory
as evidence, and written evidencd~of the dream
or vision which passed out Of the hand OF tho
dreamer or percipient before the news
reached him which confirmed what nc
had already written and sent away.
There are many cases in which such evidence Ii
the narrators are to be believed, once existed.
For example, to quote one of the stories given
in these volumes A BROTHER at Shanghai and q
sister at Canton dreamed the same night OF the
death of sister In Jersey. The impression was
so painful that each wrote the next day to "he
other the letters crossing each other on the way.
The sister had died that night as II was after
ward found. Concerning this and all like cases
MIR. Tnncs asks where the lettersp Tho
production of the letters. as he says, properly
authenticated by postmarlIs or in some way
would prove the case in themselves. And yet no
says that in not one, even OF the $50 frst-hand
narratives have the editors letter or
document issued ut the time by the narrator
which establishes the story. The letters had been
lost or destroyed; they could not be found; the
diary had been burned.
His conclusion is that this whole class of stories
Is without foundation. But here he seems to be
going TO as much OF an extreme as any of the
believers in telepathy themselves. The absence
OF the documentary evidence must certainly
weaken these stories, but does it dispose OF them
altogether? Many Of these alleged incidents are
of thirty forty even fifty and more years stand
ing. What is more natural than that the letters.
II there were any, in which they were narrated
should have been lost or destroyed? The subject
Is one Of recent interest, far as any general
investigation is concerned In many cases, no
doubt no writing ever made, or If 1t was
there was no thought OF authcntlcatng 1t in any
such way rs TO make IL evidence TO the outside
world Mr.. Innes says In one case, where the
letter is said TO have been burned, that the man
who could do such thing deserves himself to
be burned in the interests OF scence'-which seems
absurd Nothing could be more natural than
that a person having such dream or vision should
make memorandum which would merely serve
to fix the date, etc. To the outside world this
would be worthless as evidence, and Mr.. Innes
naturally rejects such cases. and yet TO the
family and friends OF such q man his words, IL
he were q man of high character, would be as
convincing as nm oath before notary public.
Women arc very often the percipients In such
cases. and TO woman IL would be far moro
natural 20 tell the story 10 her relatives and
friends than 10 think OF having it authenticated
1t does not follow that such occurrences never
took place because there no documentary evil
dencc TO sustain them; 1t does not follow that
they are supernatural II they did occur. Often
they may be mere condolences sometimes the
illusions OF an overweight brain. Often, no
doubt, persons are selfdecelved, and remember
more than they should. But Mr.. Innes's test Is
somewhat ex post facto. II. after the subject has
been brought under scientific scrutiny. the failure
TO obtain documentary evidence recurs In future
Investigations, then indeed the claims for tele-
pathy must probably be abandoned.